MELODY (Book 1) ✓

chapter 8 (Wretch)

AN: ok so I have this little favor to ask you. I lost something and I hope you guys help me find it. It's hidden somewhere in this page. You may find it down there. It looks like a tiny star and it's lost and needs company so please just give her a hug for me ;D

PLEEEEEEASE, VOTE AND COMMENT . The little star is feeling lonely :D

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When I got inside the building I went to the front office to check-in as usual. We must sign in and out everyday to keep a clean record. Everyone in the office seemed on their toes after what happened. I was still shaken I didn't know what to do. Cops were sticking around for some unknown reason. I guess it must've been worse than I'd thought. I didn't think our dorm room would be empty right now if there were police investigations. The thought made me shudder. There was only one place, a barely private place that I had for myself when my roommates were out and now it was violated by cops!

Where do I go?

One of the residents abruptly flung herself out of the TV room at the end of the hallway , shaking her head with an obvious disdainful expression as she walked out. I heard commotion boiling inside before the door swung shut behind her. I didn't know her name but she appeared to be crossing the hall in my direction, her sneakers squeaking on the polished floor.

"You have to check this out." She pointed to the door where she just came out, " Vivian is giving her best performance in there." the girl snorted.

Vivian!

"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.

"Cops. Asking questions. The girl obviously got the hell beaten out of her before she cut herself. Vivian is her bestie, you know." The nameless girl rolled her eyes and continued walking, leaving me to my thoughts.

Something wrenched my chest from the inside as I stopped in the middle of the hallway, my breath getting shallow.

Vivian!

Immediately, my mind started loading memories, recalling flashbacks of the way Vivian had treated Tina, bossing her around, ordering her to run errands for her. The way she'd made her do her hair or fold her clothes or sneak out food from the cafeteria. The way Vivian lashed out one time and pulled Tina's hair in a fury that brought her prostrate on the floor. And how the poor girl stayed silent and compliant in order to stay out of trouble. Tina never says no to Vivian from what little I'd seen. She just couldn't. She was afraid of the conflict and afraid of having to go back to her home if she messed up the rules. It'd gotten even worse when Vivian offered Tina that "night job" with her. Vivian said they worked night shifts at the hospital until morning but everyone knew it was a lie.

Luckily now we only meet all of two hours a day, yet there was enough time for me to witness sufficient proof that Vivian was the bully that caused all of this. Tina would probably never tell anyone but I could swear Vivian did this to her! I'd always blamed Vivian for messing up the new girls in the shelter as she'd tried the same with me but I couldn't prove it to the management. Well, I'd tried to report my suspicions to the directors but nobody believed me. That's when I stopped trying and decided to keep to myself. Viv was the most popular resident and the staff favored her to a ridiculously great extent. She was practically untouchable and it was frustrating. People were getting hurt because of her!

God! I felt so bad for Tina. I wish I could do something but my short chats with her hadn't helped. She'd become aloof and indifferent towards the world and started blocking me out. Only Vivian had the upper hand over her. And now the poor girl tried to take her own life to run away from her own misery. I just couldn't stand there and watch! But what could I do to prevent this from happening again?

My eyes stung and my head throbbed as I hesitantly shuffled towards the TV room.

I would try again. Maybe the police would listen. Even though It'd made me uncomfortable being interrogated in the past but at least I would try to protect Tina from an evil fate. She didn't deserve to die because of this wretch!

As I stood by the double door, taking a deep breath and thinking of getting in, I heard strident sobbing sounds coming from inside the room. Someone obviously had a breakdown. Honestly I couldn't blame them. I barely could hold on to my self-control. I pushed the door and stepped in quietly, trying to be invisible for a minute to collect my thoughts.

The room was chock-full. I looked around and noticed that most of the residents of the third floor - my floor- were there, sitting awkwardly while a couple of police officers stood in a corner discussing something inaudible.

The heartbreaking sobs didn't stop. I bit my lips, scanning the faces of the residents and then my eyes froze in shock and my mouth fell open.

Vivian?!

Vivian was slumped on the couch, her long dirty blonde hair covering the right side of her face and the colorful butterfly tattoo on her right shoulder as she shed a million tears and wept like her mother had died. She was trembling, her chest heaving as if she could barely breathe, her pretty face contorted in agony, her curvaceous body drooped to the side as she leaned on another girl's shoulder, one of her devoted minions, who was wrapping an arm around her, apparently consoling her.

What the hell!!!

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Salaam 🌷